2021 Halloween Froyo Shop Spirit Award

Fro-yo girl here. Happy Froyo Halloween! Every Halloween, I love seeing froyo shops showing their Halloween spirit. There’s so much they can do: special flavors, shop decorations, Halloween froyo cakes, Halloween toppings, spooky cones, costume contests, Halloween parties, Halloween specials, and more.

Every year I also like to recognize the froyo shop (or chain) with the most Halloween spirit. Last year, the winner was Pinkberry Japan for their Monster Swirls.

This year’s winner is…Menchie’s (again). It wasn’t close. Menchie’s had a new Halloween Spooktacular froyo spoon (Menchie dressed as Dracula), an Addams Family 2 contest and collab for 20% off your first Menchie’s DoorDash order, and they brought back Harvest Pumpkin froyo. That’s a lot!

Here’s the list of previous winners

• 2020: Pinkberry Japan
• 2019: Menchie’s
• 2018: Smile Yogurt
• 2017: Yogurty’s
• 2016: Menchie’s
• 2015: Wakaberry
• 2013: Menchie’s
• 2014: 16 Handles

You can find the most comprehensive list of froyo shop Halloween specials and events at https://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/news/halloween-2021-froyo-specials/

For over 2,000 Halloween froyo images, visit IFYA’s Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/froyogirl/halloween-froyo-froyo-shop-decorations/

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Last Call For Shop Owners to Participate in the National Frozen Yogurt Shop Owner Survey

Fro-yo girl here. The National Frozen Yogurt Shop Owner Survey, sponsored by the International Frozen Yogurt Association, is a short, anonymous online survey for froyo shop owners in the US. It was created to help shop owners learn about how they're doing relative to other froyo shops. 

The survey asks about shop performance, satisfaction with suppliers, operational practices, management, etc. Anyone who takes the survey will also receive the full results. The survey closes at midnight PST on Sunday, October 31.

Take the survey now: https://tinyurl.com/2021froyoowner

The 2021 shop owner survey results should be available next month.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Tahina Opens in Alameda, California and They Have Greek Froyo

 

Fro-yo girl here. I recently visited Tahina in Alameda. Tahina is a new fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant that opened in the Alameda Marketplace last June. The owner also owns the Beanery inside Alameda Marketplace. The menu includes mezze, soups, desserts, and wraps, pitas, bowls and plates with your choice of falafel, chicken shawarma or beef shawarma.

And yes, they make their own Greek frozen yogurt. There’s one flavor, plain, and three toppings: baklava crumble, honey, or sour cherry. You can choose 1, 2 or 3 toppings for the same price. There is one size. A froyo with toppings is $5 and you get a lot of froyo.

The menu and froyo reminded me of Souvla and Tahina’s frozen yogurt tasted like Souvla’s. It tasted natural with few additives and less sweet than usual. The texture was crazy thick, smooth, and dense – denser than Souvla’s. It tasted like real yogurt but not tangy and less sour than Souvla’s. Really good! They weren’t as generous with the baklava but the sour cherry sauce was fantastic with the plain yogurt. Also, my shawarma wrap was great too. I like Souvla’s froyo better but Tahina’s is close and more convenient for East Bay folks.

* TAHINA: 1650 Park St, Alameda, CA 94501

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Pinkberry Brings Back (?) Tiramisu Flavor

 

Fro-yo girl here. Pinkberry has a new froyo flavor for the fall, Tiramisu. Back in September 2018, Pinkberry introduced a Tiramisu flavor but it was light ice cream (aka Pinkbee’s). I liked the Tiramisu Pinkbee’s at the time because of coffee with cream flavor that wasn’t too sweet or too rich.

It's interesting that the Pinkberry website calls Tiramisu froyo a new flavor but the Pinkberry press release says that “Tiramisu frozen yogurt is back at Pinkberry.” Those messages are inconsistent. The reality is that Pinkberry never offered Tiramisu frozen yogurt in the US but they offered Tiramisu light ice cream. Would you call Tiramisu a new flavor? Or would you consider it a returning flavor? The form is different (ice cream vs. froyo). I would call it a new flavor.

Tiramisu froyo: I think the froyo version was icier than the Pinkbee’s version but they were similarly light, smooth, and sweet. It seemed a little sweeter than I remembered but it’s been a few years so I can’t say how accurate my recollection is. The coffee flavor wasn’t overpowering and it was nicely balanced with the other flavors (there was a cream or perhaps mild cheese flavor). Recommended toppings: Almond Roca, dark chocolate crisps, chocolate sauce.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Here’s the official Pinkberry press release:

Tiramisu Frozen Yogurt Returns to Pinkberry for the Holidays

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The holiday season just got sweeter! Tiramisu frozen yogurt is back at Pinkberry® (www.Pinkberry.com) stores nationwide for a limited time from October 22, 2021 through January 6, 2022.

Tiramisu is a non-tart frozen yogurt that is most similar to its namesake when topped with dark chocolate crisps, a dusting of cocoa powder and whipped cream.

"Our guests love the Tiramisu frozen yogurt so much that we knew we had to bring it back into stores for the holidays," said Melissa Hubbell, Senior Director of Marketing for Kahala Brands™, parent company of Pinkberry. "The flavor profile is really authentic to the traditional dessert, but can be customized with different toppings to make it your own!"

At Pinkberry, guests can customize their swirl with a variety of toppings that include fresh, never frozen, fruit that is hand-cut in stores daily, along with premium granolas and nuts, specialty chocolates, and much more. Pinkberry is swirling with possibilities!

Pinkberry® launched in Los Angeles, CA in 2005 as the original brand that reinvented frozen yogurt. Today, over a decade later, Pinkberry continues to create great tasting treats with fresh ingredients in an experience comprised of distinctive product, outstanding service and inspirational design. At Pinkberry you can taste the difference of an uncompromising commitment to quality and freshness. Most recently, Pinkberry was acquired by Scottsdale, Arizona-based Kahala Brands™, one of the fastest growing franchising companies in the world with a portfolio of 22 quick-service restaurant brands and approximately 2900 locations in 28 countries.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

La Dolce Vita Gelato in Milpitas Serves Froyo

Fro-yo girl here. La Dolce Vita Gelato opened late last year (December?) inside the Great Mall in Milpitas. The shop is in the main food court area. While it is a gelato shop, the sign also says frozen yogurt. They have one froyo machine and two flavors a day. They’ve been rotating the froyo flavors. I think one is usually dairy-free and one is dairy-based. During my visit they had strawberry (dairy-free) and vanilla (dairy). A small is $6 and comes with up to 6 toppings, a medium $7 with up to 7 toppings, a large $8 with up to 8 toppings. They didn’t have that many toppings to choose from though: fresh fruit, sprinkles, candy, nuts, chocolate chips, granola, coconut, sauces, etc. Half of the toppings containers were empty.

Vanilla froyo (small, $6): This was an interesting froyo – lots of vanilla flavor (visible bean specks) and a very tangy yogurt flavor (tangier than average). I don’t encounter tangy vanilla froyo too often. The texture was thick, smooth, and creamy. It tasted natural and had a tangy aftertaste. Some of the toppings I tried tasted stale. They give you a lot for your money. I’d prefer a smaller size.

Strawberry sorbet (soft-serve): I received a sample of this and was impressed by how thick and creamy it was, without adding dairy. Their sorbet is good, better than the usual soft serve sorbet.

In addition to froyo and gelato, they serve Illy coffee, crepes, and waffle bites.

LA DOLCE VITA: 170 Great Mall Dr, Milpitas, CA 95035

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Yoga-urt Introduces New Fall Flavor, Pecan Praline

Fro-yo girl here. Yoga-urt just introduced a new flavor for the fall, Pecan Praline. This is actually their frist new flavor of 2021. The flavor is made with toasted organic pecans, housemade caramel sauce and Yoga-urt’s proprietary housemade almond/cashew base. And yes, Yoga-urt’s probiotic, dairy-free soft serve is hand-crafted, made from scratch, organic, kosher, gluten-free, and soy free.

Pecan praline is a pretty popular flavor, especially during the fall. It reminds me of my father-in-law and my father too. They both liked pecan praline.

Pecan praline froyo: Very smooth, rich, and thick, with visible pecan bits. The caramel makes it sweeter and warmer – very fall like. You can definitely taste the pecans more so than the almonds and cashews in the base. Recommended toppings: pecans, granola, and whipped cream.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Stepladder Creamery Goatgurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. Stepladder Creamery, based in Cambria, CA, makes small-batch artisanal cheeses. They also have a stall at farmers markets in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Cambria. I found their stall at the Altadena Farmers Market. 

They make goat milk yogurt, called Goatgurt, in the European style (not as thick, not strained, cream on top). The goat milk is pasteurized and contains hundreds of billions of probiotics per serving. It’s a seasonal treat that they just introduced this fall. It’s made with no hormones or antibiotics. 

One yogurt was $6 for 5.3 oz or 2 for $10.

Goatgurt: It’s definitely on the thin side with a fresh, sour taste. It didn’t taste goaty or like goat milk. The aftertaste was like cream. The texture was smooth but thin. I like my yogurt to be thicker but if you like European style yogurt with a cream top, Goatgurt could be for you. Goat milk has less lactose than cow’s milk.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

STEPLADDER CREAMERY: 4450 San Simeon-Monterey Creek Rd., Cambria, CA 93428

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.